Working out in Matilda!
Early risers gather at Mathildedal Central Park for a morning workout session.
Before nine o’clock on a Saturday morning in May, the village streets of Mathildedal are still quiet. Along Tullintie, which runs through the village, you can walk with nothing but birdsong for company. But as you approach Mathildedal Central Park, workout music is already playing. While most of the villagers are still asleep, the Matilda Pump workout led by Satu-Marja “Seidu” Lassila is underway at Central Park.
“One more! You can do it!” Lassila encourages the participants as they move on to barbell deadlifts.
At times, the barbells are set aside for planks. After a short break, the workout continues with rowing movements and squats with overhead lifts.
“Your whole body is working now. Looking strong! Well done, everyone!” Lassila calls out, occasionally stopping to correct someone’s technique and check that the movement targets the right muscle group.
As the workout goes on, faces begin to flush and the effort starts to show. Every now and then, someone sets their barbell down for a short rest. Towards the end the smiles are almost replaced by grimaces. After the final stretches, however, everyone is happily satisfied.
“It felt really tough. But afterwards you feel so good. This is really good for you,” says Mirja Suomi, one of the participants.
MatildaPump is a workout lasting around an hour, performed to music using barbells and body weight exercises. Each workout goes through all muscle groups, with one muscle group trained for the duration of a single song.
“The workout especially improves strength and muscular endurance,” Lassila says.
The workout is suitable for all ages, both men and women. Unlike many other group exercise classes, MatildaPump does not involve choreography, and participants don’t need any sense of rhythm.
People of very different fitness levels can also take part, as the exercises can be done using weights that suit each participant.
“Everyone decides for themselves how much weight to put on the barbell. One person might just use the bar, while another adds 40 kilos,” Lassila says.
Lassila has been leading pump workouts in her home village since last summer. During the day, she works as a PE teacher in Salo and also leads group exercise classes.
The idea for the workouts began when Pasi Pyysiäinen from Mathildedal Central Park heard about Lassila’s background as a group exercise instructor. The barbells and other equipment were found second-hand through a fitness-themed Facebook marketplace group.
“We may already need more barbells this year, now that there are so many participants,” Lassila laughs.
She also dreams of organising workouts in the outdoor fitness stairs, as well as functional training sessions around Central Park.
“These workouts are suitable for people of all fitness levels. We have a WhatsApp group where we post information about the workout schedule.”
Other group exercise classes are also organised several times a week during the summer.
For more information: Pasi Pyysiäinen, phone: +358 400 410264